A City of New Hope
by Everlarkeverafter
Summary: After Peeta Mellark has a tragic 6 months before he moves to a new city to start over his new life. here he meets a girl that could change his new life, but there are secrets and fears behind this girl he meets. can he protect her from what is coming for him? Peeta/Katniss AU
1. Chapter 1

Peeta POV

It was the wrong day to yell. It was the wrong day to be in a bad mood and scream at the world. It was the wrong day to be a hormonal teenage boy with a family that was once peaceful. When my Mother didn't yell very often and Dad would be pleasant and always there for a gentle pat on the back, Rye would be his usual obnoxious self and Bannock was long gone with his wife Lily.

It was a day that has haunted to me for 6 months and continues to do so.

_The sky was a milky blue and white lazy clouds drift by. I only got 10 minutes for my lunch break at the bakery to observe the outside world, my hands itching to get a pencil and paper in hand to capture the moment. When I walk back in from my lunch break Mum was already yelling at me to get my ass back to work. Man I fucking hated the days mum worked at the bakery because all I wanted was to collide my fist with a wall. I throw on my apron and get back to decorating a birthday cake, the pink gooey icing sticking to my fingers. Mum paces back and forth from the shop front to the back, she seems to always be pissed off when its lunch hour rush. _

_When I am almost perfected the pink frosting tips on each corner of the cake, Mum has rushed in and out of the kitchen so many times it has become a big blur. I have just finished the birthday cake and placing the icing bag on the counter when a small but firm back hits mine, jolting me forward straight into the cake. I whip around with pink frosting covering my neck down to face the heated eyes of my mother,_

"_What the fuck?"I shout at her_

_Her lips in a hard line and eyebrows furrowed, I know I am in for it but I don't care she ruined 3 hours worth of work._

"_Don't you dare spit the language at me boy!" she protests arms folded across her chest,_

"_You fucking ruined my cake, what the hell is wrong with you?" I said not listening to her comment, "Who walks backward in a bakery? or were you too interested at that guy behind the counter that isn't dad!" I almost yell not caring if anyone heard._

"_Don't fucking talk to me like that, you worthless piece of shit! It's your fault for being in my way in the first place!" she snapped, yelling at the top of her lungs seething through her teeth._

_I placed my hands flat on the giant stainless steel working bench, pushing as much anger as I can down but I am failing miserably._

"_I don't even want to fucking work here, especially with you around! So don't screw things up, or I will never leave this shit hole!" I retort back, my face flames from anger and I am clenching my fists at my side. Before I could register what I was saying I said "Fuck off you bitch!" I am shocked by my outburst, I am never one to fight._

_A look of horror sweeps across her face, her forehead creased and hands white around her knuckles from making fists. Before I can react to what's happening Mum has grabbed the nearest rolling pin and striking me over the head, knocking me to the ground hands covering my head. I feel hot, sticky blood run down the side of my head and I feel the world spinning, _

"_Look at me you pussy" Mum barks at me as I slowly uncurl from my fatal position expecting another blow to the head, instead mum is behind the other side of the giant silver bench looking furious. _

_My hands are behind me supporting my upper body while my legs are out in front of me, about to get up and storm out of the room. Just as I start moving to get up mum places two hands on the side of the bench and she pushes with all her might, the table that weighs about 50 pounds comes crashing down on me. Everything that lay on the table knives, bread, cakes and bowls crash around me as I feel pounding pain in my right leg. I hear myself cry out in pain and my vision goes blurry, the pain centred on my mid-calf is excruciating and shoots right up through my body and my mind goes fuzzy._

_The last thing I register is a booming voice come through the room, I think it is my dad but reality is slipping and the voices are getting further and further until I am sucked into darkness._

"Peeta! Hello, earth to Peeta?"I am snapped back to reality. 6 months after the accident and I still walk with a fucking limp. I am currently standing on the beach on an overcast day, the last time I will feel these sands beneath my foot and the view of the ocean is ordinary. Rye comes up to stand next to me taking a deep breath in as if to remember the smell of the beach. We're about to get in the car and drive 14 hours down the coast to a bigger city, ever since my 'accident' Mum and Dad have been getting their divorce finalised and there was no big surprise that Mum won the house.

"Come on dickhead" Rye shouts from behind me, "or we'll never make it!" I take a slow breath and start to walk away, the waves crashing become distant and I take longer to get to the car because I am still on crutches. When I reach the car Rye is already in shot gun seat and blaring music through the car, Dad looking disinterested with the music type. Ever since my 'accident' Dad has been blaming himself for letting this happen to me, beating himself up about it no matter how many times I tell him that he didn't have anything to do with it, he still feels guilty.

I climb into the back of the car, surrounded by boxes and food for the trip. I am already feeling claustrophobic how the hell was I supposed to survive 14 hours? I finish downing two sleeping tablets and arranging many pillows to get comfortable. Just as we are about to head off Dad turns around and says "ready to start over boys?"

Both Rye and I grunt in response and say nothing else, I slowly slip from consciousness as the sleeping pills take effect. My eyelids feel heavy and I give myself over to sleep with AC/DC's song 'You shook me all night long' playing through the car.

* * *

After sleeping for a solid 10 hours, listening to music and eating, as well as stoping every few hours to use the bathroom the car trip was long! We finally arrive to the new city in which we will start our new lives, Panem city! I am captivated by the city lights looming over us, the distant beeping and honking of cars on the main highway through the city. Many of my friends say that bigger cities are boring I don't know where they got that idea? It's 8:00 pm so it's hard to tell where we are going but it seems so full of life. 5 minutes upon entering the city we turn into a quiet neighbourhood, cars parked along the street with trees running along each side of the street. Moonlight seeping through the tree line and some people are out for late night walks with their dogs.

I spot the two moving trucks already parked outside out new house, the drive way in which is covered in dirt and leaves comes into view. We park and get out of the car, my bad leg aching from having no use. The house is two stories with a small patio out the front, the front door is a big mahogany door that's been polished over. The house is pretty plain from where I stand just inside the doorway, white walls cover the house, a sitting/living room on my left. On my right is an open space that revels a very large kitchen and kitchen table, straight ahead of me you can go two ways, up stairs or through a corridor. The corridor leads to the down stairs bathroom and connecting laundry. Rye runs in the house past me and takes two steps at a time while shouting "I shot gun the biggest room!"

I take off up the stairs, slower than normal as stairs have been harder for me to handle since my accident, when I finally reach the top there are two doors to my right and one door to the right as well as a studio centred in the middle of all the rooms. The upstairs bathroom is next to the bedroom door to the right and I head in that direction as the last 4 hours is catching up with me.

When I finish off in the bathroom I see Rye is already loading boxes into the room closest to the stairs and that leaves the room next to him is mine, I walk reluctantly toward the door just wanting to sleep. When I open the door the room has a black feature wall facing the door, no furniture is in the room yet except a single mattress in the middle of the room. With a sigh I fall to the mattress not caring about anything else except sleep, just as I drift from consciousness I hear loud thuds and bangs when I realise that Dad has brought up all my boxes and when he starts to walk out he says "all your furniture will be moved tomorrow, just sleep on the mattress tonight" He says this with a very sad tone, almost as if he is trying not cry.

* * *

The past 4 days have gone by in a blur, furniture and boxes litter the house and the kitchen already smells like baked bread and cinnamon rolls. It's Monday morning and it's the first day of school, Rye and I are enrolled at District 12 Boys School. I look at the full length mirror on my wardrobe at my long grey pants, white shirt tucked in with navy blue tie, but the shirt is too small around the arms damn! I walk down stairs slowly with my bag slung over my shoulder, I grab an apple for breakfast to eat on the way to school.

"Where is Rye? I thought we were going to walk together?" I ask Dad, annoyed that Rye would do this.

"Sorry son, he left early so he wouldn't get lost and be late for school" Dad replies apologetically. He looks down at his half eaten toast and smiles sadly and wishes me luck on my first day.

Rye explained to me that school is only three blocks away and he made it sound easy to get to. Obviously I am not good at taking directions because I think I am lost. I followed his directions to the end of the street and then two right turns but somehow I have come up in front of a shopping centre many school kids rushing to get to school. I see I few boys that go to my school but I am to afraid to ask which way to go because they would just laugh at me, I look around for any sign to tell me I am on the right track to school. I check my phone and sigh heavily as I have 5 minutes to get to school, I am about to give up and walk home when I see a girl. She's just a bit shorter than me but has got her eyes on the ground, with a braid hanging over her shoulder. As if on instinct I reach out and grab her arm as if like a lifeline.

I smile down at her. She looks up at me with a startled expression, but when her cloudy grey eyes meet mine! I know I am a goner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone sorry I didn't talk in my first chapter! This is my first fan Fiction so I hope you really like it! I am excited about where this story is going to go so stay with me **** just to put it out there I am from Australia so we spell Mum (mom) differently, just to clarify it. Here is the next chapter hope you all enjoy!**

**I don't own the Hunger Games!**

Katniss POV

The first day of school always sucked, it is a day when girls can gossip about how they got tans on their holidays, what their boyfriends did and how dramatic their relationships are. yuck! It makes me want to puke. That is the reason why I don't invest in relationships, you have to be able to trust another person, a male for that fact. Boys are so unpredictable and you can never trust them, many girls in my grade are always talking about how they catch their boyfriends with other girls and they always seem to have an excuse for not keeping their dicks in their pants.

The first day of school for me is meeting Madge and Delly at the front gates with a hug and talk about how we almost died of boredom and whether or not we will survive another year of school. We are entering our senior years this year which means I actually have to work hard and stay focused if I want to finish school and go to University which definitely means NO boys!

I am not even at the gates of District 12 Girls School when I am faced with my first problem, I feel a hand firmly grip my elbow and I stop in my tracks, afraid to look up to find someone I don't know. When I finally muster up the courage to meet the eyes of the rude person who interrupted my train of thought, I am shocked to meet a face with baby blue eyes, sandy blonde hair and a half crooked smile. My breath catches in my throat and I have to admit that the boy who has me by the elbow is stunning, and I can't seem to drift my eyes from his face.

The trance in which I am in begins to lift when I see the boy's perfect plump lips move, then I realise that he is talking to me. It takes me a few more seconds to register any noise and I come back to earth.

"What?" I question having no clue what he just said.

He has a cocky smirk on his face as he chuckles at my bluntness.

"I said I am lost and I was wondering if you could help me?" the boy asks with his smirk still showing, his words sound smooth yet seductive.

"I'm sorry, do I know you? Because if you did you probably wouldn't talk to me voluntarily" I question, attempting to sound sophisticated and hopefully not too rude.

"No, I have just moved into town so that bring us back to I am lost!"

I nod my head understanding now that he is new and mustn't know that I don't talk to strangers, especially male ones. I sigh deeply, racking my brain for an excuse to get out of showing him the way to his school but draw up a blank. District 12 Boys School is less than a street away from mine but I would still rather get straight to school and judging by the time I only have a few minutes or I will be late for my first day.

"Ok fine, stranger boy, I will show you to your school but this doesn't mean we're friends! I'm just your guide for this morning so don't try anything" I quickly say back trying to get this over and done with.

"Peeta" he states.

"Excuse me?" I question, raising an eyebrow.

He gives me a small smile and blushes a little "My name is Peeta" he says, giving me another smile.

"Oh sorry, I'm Katniss, but we had better skip the long introductions or we will both be late" I say, hurriedly offering him my hand to shake as we start walking. As I observe him from the corner of my eye I notice his long strides slowing to meet mine, I force myself not to smile and keep my gaze on the footpath.

"How do you know umm...what school I go to? I haven't told you and you can't see my school emblem?" Peeta breaks the silence and he looks my way with a curious glance.

"I have been here long enough to know what District 12 Boys School uniform looks like and you need to tuck that shirt in or you will surely get into trouble" I reply back trying to sound calm and carefree but unsure how convincing I am.

"Oh, thanks" he says looking at the ground with a slight smile, quickly tucking in his shirt. "Katniss is a very beautiful name" he pauses, "it matches it's owner" Peeta says playfully while still sounding casual. I try not to blush at the comment but disappoint myself yet again; I focus on keeping my gaze centred on the ground.

Instead of thanking him I attempt to brush off the comment, "Oh hardly!" this grabs his attention and he raises an eyebrow in question, beckoning me to continue. "Don't start trying those sexy remarks on me boy; it's not going to work! I am simply not interested." I reply, hoping he will drop the subject before I am forced to surrender myself to his charm.

We continue to walk when we come to a set of traffic lights not far from my school gate, I have the sudden urge to just walk to school and leave Peeta but unfortunately I have to keep walking to get Peeta to school. I see Madge and Delly already at the gates and they spot me at the lights, they wave but shoot me an inquiring look, as if to say 'who's the new boyfriend?' I wave back but shrug off their questioning looks.

After what seems like an eternity, the lights finally lets us cross and we start walking again, this is when Peeta breaks the silence once again. "May I ask what grade you are in?" he asks almost cautiously as if not to anger me.

I smile shyly at my feet hoping the hair in front of my face covers my blush, God why am I blushing! It's a simple question. "Yeah I'm a senior this year" I say quietly "What about you if you don't mind my asking?"

"Not at all, I am also going into senior year this year" he replies politely.

My brain fills with hundreds of questions to ask this strange boy and before I have time to organise my thoughts I ask "So what brings you to the city?"

Peeta's smile falters and I instantly know I have asked the wrong question, his eyes fixed on his feet. I also notice that he is walking much slower than before, maybe even limping a little. I quickly begin apologizing for being nosey but he cuts me off. "I had some family issues and my dad thought we needed to start a new life" he replies still not looking at me and I know there is more to the story, but I don't push it.

We keep walking until we are a few metres away from the big iron gate with the words reading 'District 12 Boys School', I come to a stop when I notice Peeta is no longer beside me but several metres behind. I begin to worry as I notice his limp becoming more obvious and his jaw clenching in pain. "Are you ok? Is your leg hurt?"

Peeta looks up at me suddenly as if he forgot I was there and says in a gruff tone "I'm fine!" Even I can tell he is not fine when he grunts in pain as he tries to walk again. I automatically reach for his arm and shoulder to steady him only to be pushed back roughly by him. "I said I was FINE! I know where I am going so fuck off!" He shouts at me looking more and more frustrated.

I figured it is not worth arguing with him so I turn on my heel and walk in the direction of my school, I'm about ten metres away from him when I quickly look back to make sure he isn't dead. Good news is that he isn't dead, bad news being that he is looking back at me with his blue eyes brimming with tears and I'm a little taken aback with the realisation that it breaks my heart to see him this way. Our eyes meet and he quickly looks away and begins slowly limping toward school, I decide to do the same.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The day goes by in a blur, our timetables are sorted out, and I pay little attention in my classes. Madge keeps pestering me about Peeta and refuses to refer to him as anything but "Hot Blonde Guy", at which I just roll my eyes. I couldn't shake the memory of the events that took place that morning, I just can't get Peeta out of my mind, no matter how hard I try I keep seeing those ocean blue eyes. I know this can't be healthy, and not to mention rather distracting; my mind spent the entire day in a hazy dream.

Most people that go to my school live along the streets near the school, the foot paths are full of both District 12 Boys and Girls School students, but for some reason I inspect (from a distance) every boy I spot with blonde hair with the hopes that any one of them might be Peeta. It's after school and I am walking beside Madge with my iPod plugged into both our ears, bobbing our heads to 'One way or another' by One Direction.

"So are you going to tell me who Hot Blonde Guy is? It's getting rather annoying" Madge says breaking the comfortable silence as we keep walking.

I snort and roll my eyes getting frustrated with her for not dropping the subject yet, I look at the ground trying hard not to blush but nothing goes unnoticed with Madge.

"Oh My God you like him don't you!" Madge exclaimed a little too loud for my comfort, jumping up and down like a little girl.

"I DO NOT!" I shot back "Don't say things like that because it's not true!" I glance around but find people are disinterested with our little outburst and I am glad Madge remains the only one that knows.

"Come on Katniss; don't be like tha-"Madge gets cut off all of a sudden when I hear my name being called faintly through my music.

"Katniss!" As soon as I hear the voice without my headphones in I cringe and pray it's not him.

Knowing my luck it is the only person that hasn't left my mind since I lay eyes on him. I turn around slowly whishing I would disappear, Peeta is a few paces behind and jogs up to Madge and I. Madge smiles gleefully as to finally meet him while I scowled at her.

"Hey Katniss, how's it going?" Peeta says happily, walking next to me with no trace of a limp and seems to pretend as if this morning didn't happen.

"Look if you're lost again then ask someone else, there are many people here!" I gesture to the people with my finger and try to keep my eyes on the ground and my face passive.

"Hi, I am Madge" Madge exclaims holding out her hand to him.

"Peeta" Peeta says evenly as they shake their hands in front of me, I have a feeling that Peeta has no interest in Madge which is pretty crazy because she is stunning. Her soft blonde curls frame her face with an hourglass figure, curvy hips and full breasts. I have always been envious of her beauty; of her pale smooth skin next to my olive skin I have nothing on her.

"Look Katniss, I am sorry about this morning I really hope to see you again" Peeta snaps me out of my thoughts and extends his hand to me. I go to take when I feel him slip a piece of paper into my hand as I shake it and Peeta give me a quick wink before pulling back. Another boy runs up to Peeta and jumps onto his back and ruffles his hair as he shouts his name. I smirk as they wrestle each other while we walk on ahead.

Madge gives me a 'tell me about what that was about' look but I just wave her off and slip my earphones back on. I notice I still have slip of paper in my hand so I discreetly put it in my pocket so Madge doesn't suspect anything. The rest of the walk home there are so many questions running through my head, what does the paper say? What is wrong with him? Should I open it now that I am walking alone? No I will wait till I am in the silent heaven of my room and away from Prim who will just ask twice as many questions as me.

A few blocks away I finally turn up to my driveway and not to my surprise there is only my car in the driveway as Mum probably took another late shift at the hospital. Ever since Dad died she has shut us out thinking I can look after us and she takes as many shifts as she can. I walk to the front door and let myself in, the eerie quietness of the house consumes me which signals that prim is not home yet. The memories from my father still linger in the house, his bow and arrows that he taught me how to use still sit in the corner of the living room. The house still smells of him which is comforting even though it is now nearing four years since he's been gone.

I take off my shoes at the front door and call once to make sure no one is home, once I establish that the house is empty I walk into the kitchen and grab an apple while finding some clothes so I can get out of my stupid uniform. The blue and white striped dress gets thrown on the floor and I get comfortable in my sweat pants and t-shirt, my room has white walls and a few posters litter them. It has a window that opens to a small veranda where I spend most of my time relaxing, my double bed sits in the middle of my room with a bed side table on the right and a dresser to the left.

I climb onto my bed with the piece of paper that Peeta gave me today, I stare at the small slip gathering up the courage to open it and read it. Finally running out of patience I slowly peel open the note and I see perfect handwriting the says:

_Katniss,_

_You have no idea how sorry I am about how I acted this morning, there is no excuse for my behaviour. You were nothing but kind and thoughtful for showing me the way to school and I snapped. I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart. In no way was my outburst any fault of yours._

_I hope that we can get to know each other better and show you that I am not as bad as you think I am, you got my attention from the minute I saw you walking to school and you haven't left my mind since. Again I am sorry for all that I have done and I beg for your forgiveness._

_Peeta_

I stare at the piece of paper, utterly stunned.

"Well this changes things I guess" I mutter to myself, barely able to speak from my hopefully temporary inability to breathe; and I notice my heart beating oddly fast.

**Hey everyone I want to thank everyone for reading it means a lot. Please follow and review because I will love you if you do! A big thanks to 03, thefarmfun and the beautiful izzystyles for all their work editing this for me. Thanks guys hope you all enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, thanks for all the review and follows they mean the world to me! Please keep it up and I promise to keep updating. Here is the next chapter and hope you all enjoy!**

**I don't own the hunger games!**

Peeta POV

For the first time since I got to this god forsaking city I was happy and smiling. This beautiful girl has turned my life around in 2 seconds flat with no effort. I have known her for only minutes and I already know that she is strong, confident, and very stubborn. All my life I have had girl after girl fall to their knees in front of me, wanting to get a chance to be with me. Never once in my life have I had a girl look at me twice and not drool. I know that I am good looking, many years of girls running after you makes its point, sometimes it feels like a curse.

When I met Katniss, she was my hope in this city. When I arrived here all I have been wanting to do is will leave and never come back , because this is not my home. But every time I see those stormy grey eyes I can't help but feel hope that life will be good again in time, but only if this girl is with me. The way her hair swishes when she walks, with her uniform tight around her chest and the way her hips move makes my buddy downstairs get excited. Let's just say that it takes a lot of self control to keep it down.

My first day of school has gone from giving up to having hope and I was excited to get to school because at the end of the day I would see her again, Then I had to go a fuck things up! This was the one moment when I thought my happiness would never go away. That's when my non-existent leg decided to go 'fuck you' and start to cripple me. The pain in my leg starts off as a dull throb then intensifies within 2 minutes of starting, To the point of not being able to walk. I still get phantom pains and this can also contribute to the consistent chaffing of my prosthetic. Walking around too much does this to me and there isn't anything I can do.

When see that Katniss is still walking ahead of me in silence I contemplate whether I should ask her to slow down or help me. That would seem too weak and I don't want to scare her off so soon. Just when I am about to shout to Katniss, she seems to read my mind and turns around to find me slowly limping after her. The worried and confused look she shows pains me as I never want to see her beautiful face to crease, she walks up to me and asks if I am ok. I answer robotically as that same question is all I hear from people these days, I then I push myself to keep walking only to have an intensified pain shoot through my leg and I let out a grunt. In an instant I feel a pair of small hands come to rest on my right arm and shoulder blades. I know it is Katniss and I kick myself for getting so low that she has to assist me.

Anger boils up inside of me as I feel like such a pussy, like my mother always said I was. My anger has always been how I have coped with this turmoil in my life and now once I let it control me there is no stopping it. I hear the word spit out of my mouth before I can stop them and I instantly regret them. Their harsh and horrible and I would never speak them to anyone intentionally, so saying those words to such a caring and beautiful girl has left me stunned.

Without looking at her I start to limp away with the pain still present but I barely notice it over my rushing thoughts of guilt. With every step I attempt the pain increases and I have to stop and recover, I take this moment to look back and I see sad eyes staring back at me and I quickly look away before the tears fall down my face and the guilt consumes me. I hear receeding steps and I am left alone looking at the gate of my new school. Once I take a minute to get my emotions under control I start to painfully walk into the gates of school, that's when I see Rye walking toward me with a serious expression on his face. He notices my limping and immediately makes me sit down and let me recover.

"What happened dude? You are late and looks like you have seen a ghost" Rye asks with a serious and intense gaze on me.

"I got lost with your shitty directions" I grumble "I asked for help when my leg decided to play shit with me" I finish with my voice even to try and hide the emotion I am struggling to keep down.

"Bro you need to take it easy, I am not going to be here all the time to pick up your ass. You need to get to class before you get into trouble" he states with a board expressing. I know deep down that Rye will always be there to help me even if his shell is rebellious and rude; I think he will always love me in his own fucked up way.

"My leg is really messing me up Rye!" I state with a huff, "I need a few more minutes for the pain to go". Rye looked at me with an annoyed look then said

"Fine will go and tell someone you are in the bathroom" Rye says with an annoyed sigh and starts to walk away "You owe me big dude!" he says as he enters the building leaving me alone in a courtyard with my thoughts. A few minutes past and I start to test the pressure on my leg until I am satisfied that I won't limp. I am just glad that I sit in all my classes so by this afternoon I won't have to worry anymore.

I walk into administration and grab my timetable and walk to my first class, English. When I walk in my teacher is giving me dagger eyes as I hand him my late pass. His name is written on the board and is Mr Heavensbee; I sigh and walk to the only spare seat and stare down at my desk. Mr Heavensbee begins by instructing us to turn to the person next to you and introduce ourselves since it's the first day.

When I turn to my left to get these introductions over I am met with intense green eyes, he has blonde hair and is looking at me with a curious smirk on him face.

"Hi! I'm Finnick, You must be new!" Finnick pipes and keeps grinning

"Umm... Yeh I am, I'm Peeta nice to meet you" I say quietly trying not to draw attention.

"So, Peeta what brings your beautiful face to this school?" Finnick asks with a hint of curiosity.

I was speechless at this boy I just met; I have no idea if he was gay or whether it was a joke so I stared at him,

"Dude I am not gay if you're wondering, I am just..." Finnick thought about this for a bit and then said "sexually open and I am here for any tips" he smiled and winked at me.

I gave a small smile and nodded in understanding, maybe I should ask if I can hang with him because I don't know anyone else. As if he read my expression Finnick said "Hey maybe you can hang with me and my buddies you look a little nervous." I smiled and I nodded silently thanking him for asking.

The rest of the day went smoothly, my leg didn't bother me again and I met Finnick and his friends who all welcomed me with hugs which is weird. When the final bell rang I raced toward my locker and gathered my stuff hoping to catch Katniss on the way home. In last hour I wrote a note to her hoping to slip it to her, I wasn't sure if she would even talk to me but I had to give it a shot. I followed the crowd of school kids down the footpath when I spotted the all too familiar brown braid and raced to catch up with her.

After I met her friend Madge (I think) I slipped her the note and winked at her, trying to use all my charm I could muster and started to walk off. Rye then ran and wrestled me to ground as a way of greeting. We get home and dump our bags as we race each other to the kitchen for some food. I then see a note on the bench from dad saying he's at the new bakery he bought and he wanted us to come and see it.

All the memories I had tried to bury were all resurfacing and I had a hard time stopping the world from spinning, Rye looked at me then the note. Once he read the note he looked at me and said "Peet, Mum isn't going to be there she is out of our lives. I think it will be good for you to get back into something you used to love" he said with great caution.

I thought about what he said and slowly the room stoped spinning and I steady myself. Rye was right, the only reason I hated the bakery was because Mum was working there all the time and she made it miserable. Before she started to take over the bakery Dad would always be there and I loved listening to the radio while decorating sugar cookies or baking cinnamon rolls. Those were the times I loved the bakery and it used to be my stress reliever, but I soon became the stress point. I finally looked and Rye and nodded my head and walked up to room in silence to get changed.

Once Rye and I were in my car and driving to the bakery anxiety was creeping up on me, I tightened my hands on the steering wheel and the car became increasingly hot. I wound down all the windows and blasted the air-conditioner, Rye took notice of my change of mood and he just put the music to calm my nerves. I hadn't been in a bakery in 7 months and it scared me, it has haunted my dreams for so long I don't remember what a dreamless sleep was like. I would wake up with a start drenched in sweat and breathing hard, every night would be the same.

I finally pulled the car into the parking lot at the back of the bakery. I saw the back door and the large garbage cans next to the door; we get out of the car and walk through a small ally way between the baker and another shop. When we rest our eyes on the front of the bakery I am surprised that it looks nothing like the old bakery and I sigh in relief. We walk into the bakery with a ding of a bell signalling our arrival and the scent of vanilla and cinnamon invades my nostrils. The counter is directly in front of me with glass display cases that make an 'L' shape. The bakery already smells like baked bread and I suddenly realised that I shouldn't be scared of that smell any more. Rye was right my Mother isn't here anymore and I feel like I can start fresh again and learn to love the bakery again.

Moments later Dad came through the doorway to the kitchen and beamed at us, he has been really excited ever since we moved here to get the bakery up and running. Tomorrow will be the opening day which means Rye and I have our first shifts tomorrow, although I don't want to think that far ahead I can already feel my nerves already start to creep in.

* * *

The following day came too slowly, I was hoping I would get to meet Katniss again on the way to school and hopefully try and talk to her. I don't know whether the note I gave her helped but I had to try. I slowly walk to school with my bag slung over my shoulder while keeping a good eye out for Katniss; I was praying that leg would not be such a bitch today and keep me from my rage.

As I come up to the traffic lights I spot Katniss walking alone across the other side of the street and I start to get nervous. What if she hates me? What happens if she only wants to be friends? What if she doesn't want to be mine? When the I finally cross the street I run up to her and start walking beside her, she seems startled for a second but then recovers quickly and looks at her feet. This makes me smile; do I really have that effect on her?

"Hey how's it going?" I question try to sound casual

"Are you stalking me or something?" Katniss asks humourously with a smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, I am just talking to my friend that helped me." I say with my hands up in surrender, then I add "Thanks by the way for your help yesterday"

I look at her face hoping to catch her reaction on my comment, hoping she has already forgiven me. Katniss's face turns serious for a moment and she says "It didn't seem that way yesterday, you scared me" She says this with sorrow in her words and a worried expression. I notice then that she wasn't scared but she cared about me and I turned around and stabbed her in the back. The guilt is slowly building and I know that it must be hard for her to care for many people, so to care for me so early in our meeting makes me even more guilty.

I look sadly at the ground as we keep walking and say "You know I am truly sorry for my action yesterday, it's complicated and I don't want you to get caught up in that."

She suddenly looks at me with curious eyes and I know she wants to know the reason for my outburst, but I could never do that to her. She has been nothing but nice to me and I could never burden her with what I have to carry for the rest of my life.

"Isn't that for me to decide?" she questions and I look at her seriously hoping she won't go there.

"Please don't get involved, name anything you want and I will do it for you" I exclaim trying to get my point across, that I would do anything for this beautiful girl.

"Ok you can do something for me" she says getting my attention and I raise an eyebrow in question urging her to continue."I want you to kiss me" she says with all seriousness in her voice.

My jaw drops and I swear I am hallucinating, did I just hear those words come out her mouth? I take a deep breath and stop mid step and she stops next to me looking surprised. I lean down and brush my lips against her blushing cheek and plant a tender kiss there. My heart rate has jumped so high I am surprised I haven't had a heart attack yet; I blush and start to wonder what to do now.

"See you around Katniss" I say smoothly and wink at her and I walk ahead toward school. I turn back to look at her to see her still standing in the same position and her blush is creeping down her neck. Her mouth is open in an 'O' shape and she is staring at me walking away looking stunned.

**Thankyou everyone for reading, it means so much to me. Please review and follow. Thank you to thefarmfun, 03 and the always beautiful izzystyles for all their editing help.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone, thank you to all who have read and review and followed and all that stuff, it means a lot to me! Hope you enjoy this chapter !**

**I don't own the Hunger Games**

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Katniss POV

I stand there stunned; looking at the boy that has changed my life so fast and it's startling to realise. The effect he has on me is scary. He makes my heart race a million miles an hour and I can't get him out of my mind. I have never been effected in this way before, all the people I have dated have used and thrown me out as if I were trash. I thought I was going to be happy with Peeta but now that things are progressing between us I start to freak out. He was kind and thoughtful to not push things when he kissed me but something deep down inside of me wished that he would go further. Why I asked him to kiss me is a mystery to me, I start wonder if I am feeling something more for him?

I suddenly feel tears slid down my face as I remember the boys who have scarred me and left me alone, I realise I am still standing in the middle of the footpath and I start to walk to school, my sudden urge to crawl under my bed and cry over whelms me and I fight to keep my emotions under control. As I walk into school I see Madge standing waiting for me and she has a worried look on her face, I plaster a fake smile but she sees right through it.

Madge doesn't ask any questions during school, knowing full well that I am having a tough battle deep down and she accepts that she can't help me. She knows to stay clear when I am like this. The day goes by in a blur and I keep my head down and my emotions buried.

By the end of the day I walk slowly home with Madge talking about something I can't find the effort to listen to. All of a sudden I am stopped in my tracks when someone stands in my way, I know instantly that it is Peeta and I swerve around him and keep walking.

"Hey Katniss where are you going?" Peeta asks searching my face for answers.

"Sorry Peeta I need to get home, to look after my sister" I say trying not to look in his baby blue eyes, that make my knees weak.

Peeta goes to argue with me but Madge cuts him off and saves me from talking.

"Peeta just don't try, you don't know what you are getting into so just give her some space" I hear her say in a calm but firm tone.

Peeta looks at me in disbelief as I look at Madge as a silent 'thank you', just as I am about to keep walking I hear my name in the distance but it hasn't come from Peeta.

"Catnip, what are you doing?" he yells "Work is the other direction" as soon as I hear Gale's firm voice reach my ears I sigh in relief to have him here and I smile for the first time today.

Gale has been my best friend since I was 6 years old, his family moved in down the street from us when he was 8 years old. I first met him when I was crying one day in the woods behind my house. He saw me crying under a big white oak tree and he just sat there with me until I stopped crying. He then wrapped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me and said "no matter what makes you sad, there's a 100 things that can make you happy" and that's when I knew that he was special. We spent every day together after that, going and exploring the woods, sharing our secrets until we knew every detail of each other's lives. Those memories seem so fresh and I know I can always turn to Gale with my problems.

"Gale, you're so paranoid I was just going home to check on Prim" I say with a smile.

"Catnip, I worry about you sometimes as Prim is with Rory remember?" he says with a small chuckle. I remember vaguely this morning Prim telling me that she was going somewhere. I guess I was too hooked up on seeing Peeta that I forgot. Thinking about Peeta makes my smile vanish and I set my jaw not wanting to think about him.

"How could I live without you Gale?" I question as I go and hug him. I feel Peeta's eyes penetrate the back of my head and he finally makes his presence known.

"Ahhh... Katniss who is this?" Peeta asks pointing to Gale and I can see the jealously drip off him.

"Gale this is Peeta, Peeta this is Gale. My Best friend" I state looking at the ground as they stare at each other.

Gale then breaks the uncomfortable silence "Come on Katniss I am more than your Best friend" he says as he slips his arm around my waist. I quickly slap his hand away and say

"You wish!" I say with a laugh, knowing that Peeta will be seething now and for some reason I want to rub it in to know that he is hurting.

"It's nice to meet you all, but we need to get going or we will be late for work" Gale says as he turns to lead me to his old truck with its rusted sides, I have come to love this car, there have been so many memories with this car. Once we were in the car and on the road Gale breaks the silence.

"Ok you have some explaining to do. Who was that Peeta dude?" Gale sounds like an over protective farther but also a jealous boyfriend. He stares at me and then back at the road waiting for my response.

"He is just..." I don't know what he is. Is he my boyfriend? No he can't be. Is he my friend? Well I guess he could be but I am just as confused as Gale. "He is just a friend Gale" I say hoping not to let emotion into my response so we can drop this subject. Gale just gives me a serious look and stays quiet.

We finally arrive at Panem Archery Range; I picked this job a while ago when I was trying out for the team at school when someone recommended I apply. Once I got the interview and I showed them my skill they practically gave me the job on the spot. Gale got his position shortly after me. We teach people from the ages of 10 and up how use a bow and arrow. This has been the best job ever as I only have to work 2 days a week and I get to work with Gale, so this has always been my stress reliever and I'm always relaxed with a bow in my hand.

Gale lets me out of the car and we get ready for our lessons, he has run out of patience by this point and he asks me "Katniss I have known you for so long, so I know there is something going on with you and that guy so just tell me because you are not yourself today." Gale looks worried and I knew I have to tell him but I didn't know how to tell him without making sure he didn't bash Peeta's face in. I slowly let out a breath and say

"I helped him to school on the first day because he was lost; he then turned weird and started swearing and acting angry and violent. He was so nice to me afterward and said that it was nothing and I believed that he was fine, this morning though he kissed me on the cheek and I got scared." I pause and take a breath then continue "You know my past with guys Gale, I am so scared that he is just going to hurt me but I don't want to believe that because he has been nothing but nice to me." I finish sadly thinking about the note he gave me and the way he talked to me on our first meeting.

Gale then steps forward and wraps his strong arms around me, they feel secure and safe. Like nothing bad is going to happen when I am with him. We stay that way while Gale just soothes me and tells me "I know Katniss, I am never going to let those things happen to you again, I promise. Just promise me that you will never see him again?" I don't trust myself to speak so I just nod my head against his chest and hold onto him as a lifeline.

Gale has always been there for me through all my failed relationships, for years I had guys run after me saying sweet things. They would always convince me that I like them, that's when they always take advantage of me. Trying to get me to sleep with them, they would grope me and I would always feel so small. My last relationship was with a guy named Snow, he went to the point of forcing me to go down on him and he almost raped me. That's when Gale walked into my room and got him off me and I have always been thankful for that.

* * *

When I finally get home I am exhausted from my emotional rollercoaster day and all I want to do is sleep. I walk into the front door and shrug of my shoes and go into the kitchen to find Prim at the table doing homework. "Hey little Duck, how was your day?" I ask her and give her a kiss on her head. Prim is 12 years old now but it feels like yesterday she was born. She gives me a tired smile and says

"It was fine, I played with Rory all afternoon and I think I ate a little too much" she says with a hand on her stomach. She has always been like that and I know she doesn't mind being with the Hawthorne's while I am at work. She yawns and focuses back on her homework,

"I am guessing you don't want dinner tonight?" I ask her while trying to find food for myself.

She just shakes her head and yawns again, I look at her as she tries hard to focus on her work but she tires easily and I know she needs to go to bed. I walk to my room to change into my sweats and t-shirt before I open my window and breathe in the fresh air as it relaxes me. All my worries drift with the wind and I convince myself to worry about them tomorrow, for now I am at peace and I just want to sleep. I go down stairs to get some water before bed when I see Prim with her head down on the table sleeping. I smile to myself at how innocent she looks when she sleeps and I slowly lift her up and take her to her room. I tuck her in and kiss her goodnight before going into my own room.

As soon as I shut my eyes the haunting memories come flooding back, I haven't had a nightmare in 2 years but I know that tonight is a different story.

_I look around and see that I am outside my school, but the there is a storm rolling through and I am being blown away by the wind. Then I see those familiar blue eyes through the gates, but they are nothing but friendly, they have a feral look in them and he starts to laugh at me. I try to shout for help but my voice is lodged in my throat, I begin to fight my way toward safety, for the shelter of school._

_I am suddenly transported toward a room. It then hits me it's my ex-boyfriend Snow's room. But instead of Snow standing at the end of the bed it's Peeta, he is laughing at me as I lay there naked. I try to fight and run but an invisible force is holding me down, all of a sudden Peeta is on me touching me where I don't want. He has my arms pinned above my head and he is running his hands over my body with a hungry look in his eyes. He growls at me and says "I am going to make you mine Katniss, I am going to take you hard and make you scream." I start to panic and squirm trying to get away. He is much stronger than me and I know it is useless. He has positioned himself at my entrance and he pulls back to thrust._

I wake with a start, sweat dripping from face and my heart is beating hard against my chest. My throat is tight and raw as I swallow and I know I was screaming, Prim suddenly bursts into my room with a scared look on her face. She comes to my bed and gets under the blanket and curls up at my side. She knows I won't talk about my dreams with her so she just sleeps with me and that's what I need right now. I am grateful to have her as my sister.

My eyelids feel heavy again and I look at Prim who is already fast asleep next to me, it puts me at ease and I lie down next to her. My heart is still pounding in my chest and I am shaking from fear but I know I will be OK with Prim here. I close my eyes and drift from consciousness with the thought of stay as far from Peeta as possible.

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**Thank you everyone who has reviewed and all that jazz! Please review it means a lot to me, a BIG thank you to izzystyles, 03, and thefarmfun for their editing skills.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey Guys, thanks for all your reviews and favourites keep it up. Sorry if this is a bit late been a bit hectic lately but I hope this make up for it. Here's the next chapter :)**

**I don't own hunger games!**

Peeta POV

I stare in disbelief as Katniss walks away with Gale, I don't know what I did wrong? She asked for the kiss this morning but now it's like she has shut down and is pretending I don't exist. Madge told me that there are things that I don't know and that I need to leave her alone; what's that supposed to mean? Katniss seemed so interested in me this morning and I am confused on what to do now. Her so called 'friend' has taken her away and I feel my heart drop to my stomach as I watch them drive away.

Long after Katniss is gone, I stand in the same spot as people walk around me, I look down at my feet whishing she would come back and say it was all a joke. I eventually start to walk home and all I can think about is how I am going to get Katniss back, I can't lose her. She's what keeps me grounded and calm in this crazy city. I had dreams that I would marry this girl, that she would make me happy and I would make her happy. How I could show the world that she was mine and no one could touch her. I know it's crazy to think these things when I have known her a couple of days, but as she walks away I can't help but feel as though all my dreams of the two of us shatter.

I walk through the front door, lazily slinging my bag off my shoulder as I pass through the hallway before trudging up slowly to my room and slamming my door shut. I have much pent up ager boiling up inside me as I continue to think of her with Gale and what they might be doing, I am angry at myself for screwing things up. In my fit of rage I kick my prosthetic leg into my door, only to intently regret this a second later as pain shoots through my leg, it swells hot at the base of my stub and works its way up my as a fuzzy feeling floods through the rest of my body. I yell out in pain and fall onto my bed, trying to fight back tears. I grit my teeth and punch my pillows, allowing my anger to take hold. I stop to regain my breath, and carefully take off my pants to have a look at my leg. The throbbing is unbearable; I lie back, staring at the roof. I hear a soft knock on my door and I grumble for them to come in.

"Peeta, are you ok? I heard a racket up here, what happened?" my Dad asks as he steps into my room with a worried expression on his face, he surveys my room but finds nothing broken. He then comes and sits on the end of my bed; he notices the red swelling above my prosthetic and gives me an apologetic look. Dad and Rye are the only people that have seen my prosthetic and I still feel uncomfortable with people looking at it. The knowledge that my leg is no longer there can make people sick, it makes me sick.

"Son please talk to me you are scaring me" I look at the celling with a blank expression not wanting to talk.

"I just had a bad day Dad and kicked the door" I say as he takes a better look at my leg. He gets up and paces the room for a long minute stopping and starting sentences, not really knowing what to say. He walks to the door with a sad look and says "At least take your prosthetic off before that swelling gets any worse" he then walks out, closing the door softly. I know Dad tries his hardest to be patient with me and ever since I lost my leg he has trouble filling the empty silences with conversation.

I get up with a huff and look in disgust at the swelling of my stub, it's pounding and I notice it going purple near the tip. I slowly undo the straps that hold it in place and the pressure starts to disappear instantly, I slide it off my leg and I breathe a sigh of relief. Dad was right and it starts to feel better, it's still swelling but there isn't the pressure of prosthetic anymore. I take this opportunity to have a shower. I reach over and crab my crutches that sit in the corner of my room and slowly make my way to the bathroom, showers have become harder ever since I lost my leg and I take baths most of the time but today I want to try a shower. When we moved in dad built a little seat/ledge in the shower so I can sit down, I have been sceptical about using it as I'm scared of slipping.

I slowly and carefully peel off my clothes and dump them in the basket, I reach into the shower and turn on the water and wait. Once the water is steaming and warm I cautiously step in while holding on the shower door tightly, I lower myself onto the ledge and let the water rush over me, the water seeps into my skin warming me up. This calms me as I think about today's events, all my worries seem to wash down the drain and I feel completely relaxed. The hot water runs through my hair and down my neck which make me shiver in pleasure as I continue to enjoy the hot water running over my body. I feel so calm I could sleep in the shower, not wanting to move again.

After my shower the swelling in my leg has gone down but I decide to sleep without my prosthetic, I put on a pair of boxers and climb under my sheets ready to shut out the world, only to be interrupted by a world of nightmares.

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The next day I decide to take my old Volkswagen and drive to school. My leg is still bothering me from yesterday, and it took some effort to get my prosthetic contraption on. As I drive I try to keep my emotions under control and I'm worried that as soon as I see Katniss I will beg on my knees for her to come back to me, luckily I am driving today as I park my car and walk into school with no incident. I keep telling myself that today is a new day and she might have changed her mind, I can imagine her running up to me and wrapping her arms around my neck and confessing her love for me. No! Stop thinking about Katniss! This is certainly not healthy.

As I walk into school I spot Finnick with a cheeky smile on his face, something tells me he is planning something I'm not going to like. Once I reach Finnick he beams at me

"Dude, the guys and I are having a water polo game tonight and we need one more person" he says gleefully as he indicates that I should be that person. I smile sadly at the ground as I rack my brain for an excuse to not play seeing as I can't swim with one leg, I run my fingers through my hair and sigh in annoyance.

"Sorry Finnick but firstly I've never even played water polo, and secondly I have a leg injury so I can't play" I reply. I see Finnick's face fall and I feel bad for not being able to play. He then lightens us and says:

"I can just take a look at your leg and I pretty sure I can strap it, you'll be fine" he then goes to have a look at my leg and I tense in shock. I start to panic and rack my brain for something to say to stop him, I try and say something but am only able to make a noise as he has already lifted the bottom of my pants up. As soon as he sees the metal he quickly pulls it down again, where it remains hidden from sight. Finnick stands quickly with a guilty look etched over his face and I am nervous and embarrassed by what just happened. By the look on Finnick's face he never expected that to find that, He then says softly

"Sorry man I had no idea, how'd it happen?" he says this sadly and I just look at him in shock and reply:

"It's okay man I'll tell you later" I almost whisper this and just want to crawl in a hole and die. There is no point in denying it now to him, he may as well know. Just as I am about to turn and go to my locker to get my books for my first class I over hear a group of boys talking and something catches my attention.

"Oi you seen that Everdeen girl? Now that is an arse I'd pound" one of the guys says with motion of his hips that disgusts me. All his friends nod in agreement and laugh, I start to feel my anger take over as I can't stand the thought of them touching Katniss. They are vile people, curse them for thinking such things.. I slowly walk up and tap one of them on the shoulder. They all turn around, looking at me as though I'm a meal; I swallow my fear.

"Don't ever talk about Katniss like that, she deserves far better than you arseholes" I say with all the confidence I can muster and they give me dagger eyes, I know I have done something I will regret but I couldn't just say nothing.

"You can't tell us what to do, and now if you don't mind I'm going to keep talking about how I am going to fuck that piece of arse" one of the guys says and gives me a warning look but before I can register what I am doing, I swing and connect my fist with his jaw. I hear a crunch sound not sure whether it came from him or me, once he recovers from the initial shock of the punch he then takes a swing at me and hits me right in the eye.

My vision goes white and I stumble back and I can feel all the blood rushing to my eye, just as I regain my vision again I feel another punch in my lower jaw and I fall to the ground. The world is spinning but I know I need to get up and fight this guy for Katniss's sake. I try to stumble to my feet but my prosthetic is becoming painful as I try to throw another punch but fail miserably. I feel a sudden weight on me as I feel blow after blow in my face and chest, after what feels like forever someone finally gets him off me and I gasp for breath.

I hear someone yelling at me from the background saying "FUCK YOU Mellark, you messed with the wrong person" I'm in too much pain to care what he is saying as I'm dragged by Finnick to the nurse. Once I'm cleaned up and checked for broken bones I'm sent to class, Finnick questions why I punched the boy apparently named Cato. I explain what I heard them saying and how I got protective; Finnick just gives me a sad look and shrugs.

The day goes by quickly and I know Dad isn't going to be happy to see me with a black eye and bruises all over my jaw and hand, but looking like this it's Katniss who I don't want to see most of all. I climb into my car when I remember I have to walk to the bakery today and I need to leave my car at school for Rye to drive home. I grumble loudly and get out again, only to find Rye giving me a disapproving look as I hand over my keys.

I start walking, thinking about how to explain my behaviour to Dad when I realise I can hear Katniss walking behind talking to Madge and I freeze up not wanting her to see me like this, I start to panic and think about all the scenarios that could happen. I walk faster trying to get far away from her when I hear a voice that prickles my skin. Cato.

"Hey baby how are doing this fine evening?" I shiver as I hear his words and I know I have no choice but to intervene as he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I stop in my tracks and turn to face Cato and Katniss, I see Cato seethe through his teeth knowing well that I am disrupting his plans; Katniss looks surprised to see me. I walk calmly toward Katniss and stand in front of her shielding her body with mine; she doesn't talk or question any of this. Cato on the other hand doesn't want to give up on Katniss and he stands taller to try and upsize me but I am not fazed by this.

"Go home Cato, you're not wanted here" I say with as much venom as I can and he is fuming and clenching his fists. He then spits

"I am going to get you bitch, your mine!" he emphasises 'mine' and I watch Katniss stiffen and take a step back, Cato walks away looking pissed and I sigh in relief. Katniss grabs my arm to turn me around but I realise she hasn't seen my face yet, I quickly look the other direction in shame, and I start to walk away without a word.

"Peeta?"

I continue walking, keeping my eyes on my feet.

"Peeta!"

I stop about fifteen metres away and give her a sideways look, careful not to show my face. "Katniss I'm in a hurry I have to go, I'll see you later" I say, trying to sound firm but friendly. I see a look of hurt and confusion wash over her face, but I know I can't face her so I turn my head and walk away sadly.

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**Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting. it means so much so keep it up :) also check out my other story called 'my angel in hell' and please review **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi, sorry this took soooo long to update! Life got in the way and the real world sucks! But I hope you all like the chapter! My Angel in Hell will also be updated shortly!**

**I don't own The Hunger Games**

Katniss POV

The feeling of Cato's presence made me uneasy with his tall, strong build. He towered over me with a smirk that would usually cause girls to blush and giggle, but only made me hate him more. Since the day Cato first lay eyes on me he has tried to get into my pants;he had called, texted and stalked me every day for two weeks. He never got the message that I wasn't interested, he persisted until I screamed at him in the middle of a shopping malland slapped him in the face. He hadn't shown much interest in me after that, probably because I embarrassed him in front of his friends in public so he got the message. What I don't understand is why he is all of a sudden trying to win me over again. Is it because he saw me with Peeta? Does he think I've forgotten what he did? It's another thing weighing on my mind and I just wish he would leave me alone.

I walk home in silence still shaken up by the day's events, just wanting to curl up in my room and forget about everything that had happened. I walk up my driveway and find prim just arriving home from school, her bag nearly the size of her torso as she runs into the house not even acknowledging my presence. I shrug my bag and shoes at the front door and walk to the kitchen where I can hear prim rustling for food which she won't find. Normally Mum would leave some money for the week in my room for food since she's never home, but the past two weeks I haven't seen or heard from her once and there has been no money anywhere. What little money I get from my job helps pay for water and electricity but we only just scrape by. There is no food anywhere, the shelves of our pantry are bare except for a bag of a rice. The fridge would also be bare if only for a small portion of milk but that isn't going to last much longer. I felt a pang of guilt as Prim has to come home hungry and there is nothing to eat, it overtakes me as I see her digging through her bag for any leftovers from today's lunches.

I walk further into the kitchen with a heavy sigh, feeling my stomach growl as I watch Prim come up short with nothing to eat. She pouts and I can see her mind reel the possibilities of finding food, in one quick motion she grabs her bag from where it lay on the ground and slings over her shoulder as she makes her way toward the door not even acknowledging me standing in front of her. She races past me with enthusiasm which has come from nowhere.

"Prim! Where do you think you are going?" I demand, not wanting her out at night. I sound motherly while also demanding because I know it's the only way to make her listen to me.

"Chill, I'm just going the Hawthorne's because unlike us they have food" this stings and I feel hurt that she says things like that so easily, she doesn't know how much work I put into getting food on the table. I scowl at her but she shrugs me off as if she doesn't realise she has hurt my feelings, I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest as I feel my temper getting the better of me. Teenagers! "And Rory said he would help with my homework" she blushes at this statement and turns to leave.

"Be home before dark!" I shout after her, but not sure if she even heard me.

Sighing, I trudge up to my room not wanting to deal with Gale today. Ever since he spoke to me about Peeta he has kept asking about him making sure he was staying away from me, it was getting irritating. I decide I can wait until tomorrow for food and all I want to do is sleep away my problems, my head is starting to hurt by over thinking my situation with Peeta. What he did for me today was something no one has done for me before and I am starting to think he isn't such a bad person like other people in my past. He has given me space and protected me without me even realising I needed protecting, normally I like to fight my own battles but today I was tired and fed up with boys. What is playing on my mind is the fact that Peeta didn't let me see his face, as if he was ashamed or something, whatever it was he was acting weird. The way he spoke to me as he walked away seemed pained, was he in pain? Did I hurt him somehow?

All these things race through my mind to fast and I scream out in frustration into my pillow, why couldn't life be easy? My stomach starts to protest for food but I shut out the hunger and try to sleep, only to have nightmares plague me until I wake up sweaty and breathing hard. My dreams seem to be the same only the face of Peeta has changed to the face of Cato and now my dreams have turned into something else.

_I lay on Snow's bed with the stench of blood feeding my nostrils; a person standing over me, dominance dripping over him. Cato. He smiles darkly and I know his intentions immediately but my body betrays me and feels like lead, I can't move anything but my head. My body is a prison and I'm defenceless against Cato's wrath. I'm lying naked on the bed and Cato's eyes scan over me hungrily and I can see the obvious bulge in his pants. He is shirtless and his hands are slowly making their way to the button of his pants as I try to struggle away but fail in breaking away, a force keeping me to the bed as if it wants me to raped and I fight it with all my might._

_I scream and cry for help but it only sounds as a whisper and Cato barks a laugh at my struggle, he now has his pants off and now towers over me on the bed. He is on his knees as he straddles my waist. His boxers are tenting and I fear for what he's going to do, he starts the lick and suck his way down my neck leaving marks and it seems to leave burn marks on my skin, then I realise he has taken himself out of his boxers and he is stroking himself. He is intimidatingly well-endowed and I start to struggle again trying to get him off me._

"_Struggling only makes me want to pound into your pussy even more!" Cato spits in my ear as a shiver runs down my spine, panic begins to settle in my heart, even more when Cato grabs a cloth and gags me with it. Silencing me and making me choke on my cries. Cato laughs hard and reaches a hand down between our bodies to test my readiness only to find none. I would never find pleasure in this. His eyes look primal and wild as he starts to grind his length roughly along my hips where he sits, and starts to swear, spitting on me then shoving his fingers in places unthinkable. Bile starts to fight its way up my throat and all I want to do is throw up, as Cato starts to grind faster and my skin starts to turn red from the chafing. _

_Cato seems to be satisfied with my reaction and moves between my legs roughly shoving them apart with his filthy hands. He positions the head of his cock at my entrance and puts half his body weight on me, crushing me with his weight and feeling the heat and sweat of him becomes unbearable._

"_You're all mine tonight" Cato seethes as he pushes into me, I feel myself stretch to accommodate the intrusion. Cato hisses and thrusts sharply into me and I cry out in pain, it centres at my lower belly and courses through me like fire. My hands are fisting the sheets beneath me until I feel them go stiff with effort. I scream and cry through my gag until I can no longer find my voice, Cato thrusting into me over and over again at a punishing rate. The slapping of our hips connecting pushes me further up the bed, until my head hits the headboard which adds to the pain in my body. He picks up the pace and grunts as he loops an arm around my waist to lift my pelvis at a different angle, this makes the pain increase as my body tries to reject the intruding object. _

"_Fuck you're tight Kat" he states viciously. I know he is close and I remind myself that it would be over soon. With one last sharp thrust Cato roars with pleasure and spills his seed into me, his sweating body covers mine as I try to breathe without the stench of blood and sweat invading me. Then as quickly as he came Cato disappears from my body to leave me exposed and cold in the room, blood stains the bed and my body aches with exhaustion. Then I hear a voice as soft as silk, a voice that can brighten a room... A voice that I have come to recognise so well._

_Peeta._

_I open my eyes and find him walking toward me saying my name with concern, he then takes off his jacket and covers my body with it. As if Peeta's presence is welcome the heavy weight on my body lifts and I move toward his waiting arms, he sits on the bed with me and embraces me with his warmth, slowly he takes off the gag and let me breaths deep breaths._

"_Shhhh... It's okay Katniss I'm here" Peeta soothes as he rubs my back in little circles calming me. Peace over takes me I start to drift away with a calm knowledge that everything is going to be okay._

For once in my life, I wake up relaxed from my nightmare, my heart is still pounding against my ribs and a layer of sweat covers me but I'm calm. I am not panicking or screaming out but I simply open my eyes peacefully. Never have my dreams or nightmares gone like that, I'm always broken from my dream when worst moment happens and yet Peeta was in my dream, saving me from my fear. Never have I been saved from my nightmares before and Peeta was that person, there was something different about this dream and I intend on finding out why.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day I seem to be calm and collected despite the circumstances, we still have no food and I have managed to scavenge some money around the house but it is only enough to buy some bread and milk. I walk to school with an empty stomach and a sick feeling at the pit, my mind wonders if I will see Peeta today but I try not to get my hopes up as he said yesterday he didn't want to talk. Walking into school I see Madge smile and wave me over, she has a smirk on her face as if to say 'I know something you don't' and I get the feeling it has something to do with me.

"Hey Katniss" Madge says almost too happily, I raise my eyebrows in response to her mood. "I'll tell you in first class" she says with a wink, oh boy here we go. I go to my locker and grab my books and hurry to class as I'm eager to find out what Madge knows. When I walk into class I spot Madge in the back row flipping through a magazine she has sneaked in, her hair flowing around her blazer as she reads. She looks up at me as I approach the double desk and she closes the magazine with a smile crossing her face. I sit next to her and put my books down a little harder than needed.

"Okay Madge, spill!" I demand as I hate her looking at me like she is.

"You talk to Peeta lately?" she asks taking interest in her nails and avoiding my gaze

"Maybe, Why?" she looks up at me knowing I'm lying.

"So I'm guessing you heard about the fight"

My eyes go wide and my mouth drops open, is she serious? "NO! What fight? Where?" suddenly the puzzle pieces seem to start fitting together.

"There was a fight at Peeta's school yesterday between Peeta and Cato. Apparently it was about you!" she exclaims with as I have a questioning look, I shrug having no idea that this happened. "Peeta started the fight but Cato beat the shit out of him, unlucky he has such a beautiful face" Madge says in a dreamy tone and I slap her arm.

I think back to yesterday afternoon when I saw him but I never saw his face, that's probably why he wouldn't look at me. I start to feel guilty that Peeta was hurt because of me. I hadn't realised I had spoken my thoughts until Madge smile widens.

"You saw Peeta! What did he face look like? Did he cry? I need details!" I roll my eyes at the obsession she has over Peeta.

"Madge stop! I didn't see his face, he hid it from me. I didn't even know there was a fight so I didn't ask anything" fed up with this conversation I try and concentrate on something else but Madge gets my attention again.

"Wait! How did you see Peeta without seeing his face? And if you didn't talk about the fight what did you talk about" Madge interrogates, waiting for an answer.

I twist my hands in my lap not wanting to talk about the event with Cato yesterday afternoon, but Madge is not taking 'no' for an answer, sighing I recount the events of yesterday. How Cato came up and talked to me, Peeta telling him to piss off and walking away acting all weird. How I never saw Peeta's face and therefore never questioned him about a fight I never knew about. As I recount the story I feel hurt that Peeta didn't tell me about the fight, and although I have purposely been avoiding him, it still stings.

Once I finish my story Madge still has a neutral expression on and it's hard to tell what she thinks or what she is going to say. I am stuck with what to do, I want to confront him about the fight but I have a feeling that isn't going to go well besides I need to get the small amount of food this afternoon so we don't starve to death.

"Do you know where I can buy cheap groceries?" I ask Madge in between writing notes on the board.

"You know, Peeta works at the new bakery two blocks from here" Madge calmly states as if the most obvious thing. How is it that I miss all this important information about Peeta but Madge, who has met him twice knows more about him? It baffles me how she knows all this, maybe she's also noticed his charm…

"How do know all this stuff!? You have only met him twice!" I demand getting frustrated at her knowledge, "and how does that information affect cheap groceries?"

"Oh... I have my ways" she waves dismissively, rolls her eyes as if I am retarded and continues, "plus you could go to the bakery and get some bread or whatever, interrogate Peeta about the fight, he might even give you a discount" nudging me with a wink.

"I'm not going to interrogate him!"

We both sigh in frustration as the argument goes nowhere, we both turn back to our work and not another word is said about Peeta or the fight. Although it replays my mind throughout the day without making any sense.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I see the words 'Mellark's Bakery' written in fancy gold letters across the building as the fresh sent of baked bread fills my lungs, almost warming my chest with its scent. There's a large window out the front of the bakery so you can see the displays of cakes and breads but also the inside of the shop as well, I can see a handful of customers being served and a tall slightly older man behind the counter. He has a broad smile that seems to spread to the other customers, behind him comes out a boy that looks a few years older than me, scruffy brown hair that falls slightly over his eyes. A cocky grin planted on his face as he serves a customer, he looks slightly taller than Peeta with a strong build. He is undeniably handsome but has an off-putting cockiness about him.

I decided to come to the bakery shortly after leaving school, while walking my stomach twisted and knotted painfully wanting food. I couldn't ignore it any longer and I knew prim needed food as much as I did. I considered going to the local supermarket but they seem to always rip you off and ever since Madge talked about the Bakery all I have craved was freshly baked bread. Without thinking I ended up at the Bakery, an inner battle going through me as to whether I should go in or not. My stomach growls loudly, pulling me toward the bakery as a cold wind picks up forcing me to shiver and take cover inside.

Once I enter with a little ding of the bell I embrace the warmth it brings, like a home built fire warming me during the snow season. The smell of cinnamon, vanilla and yeast intensifies and I breathe in deep to try and memorise the smell, I would imagine this is what Peeta would smell like. Just as I think of Peeta I imagine the warmth as his arms, wrapping around me, strong and secure.

I realise I have stood still far too long with my eyes closed, people are starting to look and I quickly compose myself. I straighten my spine and check my uniform is presentable, before I glance around the bakery. It's quiet except for the soft murmur of talking between customers and workers, the low lights radiate yellow through the Bakery and illuminates the black and white tiles on the floor. There's a wrap-around display case and counter, showing a range of breads, cookies, cakes, and other sweets that are decorated beautifully. A few small tables and chairs scatter the empty spaces and few people occupy them.

"What can I get for you today?" the man behind the counter asks. He looks strangely familiar but I can't put a finger where I have seen him. He has a thick mop of curly blonde hair, broad shoulders and a strong build. You can see he is kept fit from his job and his body seems intimidating but his eyes show a gentle soul. His eyes are a shade of dark blue that bore into me with curiosity.

"Umm... I was uhh..wondering if you umm... had any milk and bread?" I mentally kick myself for becoming a babbling idiot. I shift from foot to foot trying not to let my blush of embarrassment show, but obviously fail when I see the sides of his mouth curl amusedly.

"Well, let's see" that man says walking around the counter to the small fridge in the corner of the shop and inspects it. "Yes, we have milk, and I think we have bread" his smile is pleasant and humorous, he's being sarcastic but he makes me smile and feel more at ease. I relax considerably and the man's smile widens, his smile becomes contagious because a smile that reaches my eyes spreads across my face.

The man grabs a carton of milk and takes it to the counter, checking the price with the scanner, in that moment the boy I saw earlier walks in, and a swing in his step. He stops short when he spots me and his smile seems to grow bigger, his ocean blue eyes stare at me, scanning me over from head to toe. I start to feel uncomfortable under his gaze and the older man notices him staring.

Hitting the boy across the back of the head in a half punishing, half joking way in order to get his attention away from me.

"Rye, don't stare its rude!" he says with a serious tone, the boy whose name is Rye shrugs and apologises, he then tries another approach

"Can I help you, beautiful woman?" he asks in a silky voice but I just roll my eyes, hands on my hips hoping to convey the message that I'm not interested.

Before I'm able to get a word out the man answers.

"Yes, this young lady needs some bread" winking at me with an easy smile.

"Ahh... bread we have" he states but then stops mid stride. "What kind of bread?" he asks raising and eyebrow waiting my answer. They both have humorous smirks as they tease me.

"The cheapest you've got" I answer in a neutral tone.

He straightens up and looks smug with my answer, before I know what's happening he has raised his voice louder than needed.

"PEETA! YOU GOT ANY CHEAP BREAD BACK THERE!" my eyes go wide with horror as I hear rustling out the back and I start to panic, I'm not ready to see Peeta yet and I step back in fright. Rye and the older man look at me with curious glances, wondering why I have reacted to his shouting. I open my mouth to say an excuse and leave but I'm too late.

"Yeah, I did find some bread th-" he cuts himself off as his eyes meet mine, his sentence fading away as he stands there shocked holding a loaf of bread. His broad shoulders tense and jaw tightens as his gaze locks with mine. The world around us has seemed to stop, noise is gone and it's just Peeta and me. His baby blue eyes filled with fear, shaggy blonde hair covers his forehead. Suddenly the thought of the fight enters my head and I notice the bruises and cuts that cover his face, a purple-black bruise under his right eyes that has swelled to the point of his eyes becoming a slit. Blue bruises cover his jaw and mouth, cuts split his lips and beside his eyes. I gasp when I take in his face, the horror of Cato doing this to him, was because of me? The world suddenly feels like it has fallen from under my feet.

We are snapped back to reality, Rye and the older man looking between us curiously as Rye speaks to Peeta in a humorous tone, as if there were a private joke only he knows.

"You know this chick Peeta?" Rye points a thumb in my direction; Peeta's eyes never leave mine. He only nods and continues to stare. The Man behind the counter seems to recognise that there is tension between us and he excuses himself and drags Rye out back with him. I hear Peeta mumble

"Thanks Dad" this explains why he looked so familiar, he almost looks identical to Peeta only thirty years older but it's scary seeing how similar they look. So many things run through my mind as Rye and his dad leave the room and I suddenly realise we are alone in the store, but I don't remember anyone leaving.

I'm finally able to tear my eyes away from Peeta and his damaged face when he moves to put the bread on the counter next to the milk, he sighs deeply and rakes his strong fingers though his hair, a nervous habit I have picked up on. His face falls to a sad expression as if exhausted, an expression that reminds me of a lost puppy begging to be cared for.

After a few minutes of silence the tension is too much to take so I gather up all my nerve and start to speak, only I have no clue what to say. I open and close my mouth a few times but my brain goes fuzzy as no words make it out, I feel like a fish out of water. Finally I'm able to string a sentence together

"I heard you were in a fight... I ahhh... wanted to umm... I want to make sure you were okay..." I mumble quickly and quietly as I stare at my feet, not daring to look in his eyes for fear of becoming an emotional wreck.

"Katniss, what you heard from other people isn't true... I mean yes I got into a fight, and yes the fight was about you and... yes... I threw the first punch..." he trails of when he meets my bewildered expression, how could the fight be about me? Is this why Cato suddenly wanted me? Why he came up to me without a scratch on his face hoping I will go with him? These questions race through my mind and yet I look into Peeta's eyes and remember my dream the night before, how those same eyes saved me from the horrors of Cato. Something in the back of my mind seems to be telling me 'go to him' and 'he'll keep you safe' but as much as I want to listen, I still have to be rational about my decisions or I'll get hurt.

"Why was the fight about me? Is that why Cato came after me that afternoon? I'm not that important or worth fighting over!" I ramble on not meeting Peeta's eyes as I voice my thoughts, but when I do I'm shocked to find his face full of confusion as if I have two heads.

"Katniss, you have no idea the effect you have on people, on me! Cato was saying rude things about fucking you and I snapped... I couldn't handle him talking about you like you were nothing; every punch and kick was worth it!" Peeta confesses with a sad half-smile, which is hard to see under his bruises but it's definitely there. I stand there frozen in shock, not knowing how to reply to his words that seem to ripple through me and make my heart beat twice as fast. "When I first met you I couldn't believe how beautiful you were, you seemed closed off from the world but you let down your guard for a stranger." He said pointing to himself. "But once you got comfortable with me you began to over analyse things, I don't know if your past has something to do with it but all I know is that you have walls thrown up so no one can get close to you. That's what makes you so attractive."

My mouth has turned to sand; my throat closing in as tears well in my eyes at the realisation that everything Peeta said was true. I have trust issues and I have put up walls that only my two closest friends can break through, these walls went up after my encounter with snow hoping to never go though that pain again. I have closed myself off from the world around me in order to save my skin, a dream like state in which I lived for a long time until recently, since I met Peeta. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks, Peeta brought down my walls with a single look. His ocean blue eyes broke me without me even realising.

We stand in silence for a long while as I get my head around all this new information, but my legs have suddenly betrayed me and I walk backward until my knees hit a chair, I slump into the chair taking a few deep breaths. Peeta comes and sits opposite me still wearing his apron, wiping flour off his hands. I finally build up the courage to talk.

"I built those walls a long time ago, when a boy named Raphael Snow walked into my life. Everyone called him Snow and at first he was sweet to me, always saying I was beautiful and how lucky he felt to be with me. He had me under his spell, made me feel special and he spoiled me all the time, he drew me in. Apparently he heard what I did with my previous boyfriends and wanted me to do the same, I didn't want to be pressured and he kept pushing me, telling me he loved me and if I loved him back then I would do as he asked. I thought I was in love but I guess I never wasn't" I take a big gulp of air, I don't know why I'm telling him all this but it's too late to stop. He looks at me patiently waiting for me to continue. "One night he took me to his house for a date, his entire house was covered in candles and we ate a romantic dinner, he made me feel at ease and he made me trust him. I thought he had given up on trying to make me do things to him but I was wrong, after we had dinner we sat on his bed and started to make out. At first it was making out but then he started feeling me up, and forcing me under him where he began to grope me and I started to feel uncomfortable. I tried to push him away but he only held me tighter, and convinced me to go down on him. I hated every second of it because he wasn't gentle and once he was done he thought we would go further. He began to undress me and I kept telling him I didn't want sex but he didn't listen only pinned me hard under him. When I knew he wasn't listening I started to scream and shout for help but he gagged me so I couldn't be heard, it was the scariest thing I have experienced. I felt hopeless as he tried to rape me, just before he went through with it the police burst through the door... he was 16 and I was 14." I didn't realise I was crying until Peeta handed me a few tissues and I quickly cleaned up, taking deep breaths to calm me as I recounted that terrible night.

"How did the police know?" Peeta asks in a quiet voice

"The next door neighbours heard my screams and called the police to make sure everything was alright, they called my mum and told her what happened but I don't think she really understood..." I trail off as I don't want to tell Peeta about why my Mother is depressed. Peeta only nods his head and stares at his hands, an awkward silence taking over.

"It sounds like you've had some dickheads in your past" Peeta states trying to lighten the mood after my confession, I smile and snort at his use of words. He seems happy that he made me smile and he smiles back, taking my hand on top of the table and giving it a light squeeze. The warmth that travels through our hands becomes electric and I gasp when Peeta presses his lips to my knuckles. It's a simple gesture but I makes me breakout in goose bumps and sends shivers to my core, frozen in my chair I look at my hand which had Peeta's lips on it barely a second ago.

Peeta gets up in a calm matter and walks toward the bread and milk I was going to buy, I realised that was the real reason I came to the Bakery. How did I get so carried away? I get up from the chair once I'm certain my legs will hold my weight, I reach into my blazer pocket and pull out the little money I have, Peeta has busied himself with packing my items in a bag. I take a moment to look at him; he looks innocent and happy for the first time since I walked into the Bakery. Peeta looks into my eyes and gives me a million watt smile that makes my knees weak.

I hold out the money to pay for my items but Peeta holds up a hand and chuckles to himself.

"Don't bother paying, I'll take care of it" his voice is soothing and almost convincing. Almost.

"But that's not-"he cuts me off

"Katniss, what you just told me takes guts! I never asked you to tell me but you did anyway. That's worth more than any amount of money, so please just take these as a thank you" He pleads, his eyes bore into mine and I have no choice but to give in.

"Okay fine, thank you Peeta" I reply quietly as I walk toward the counter and grab the bag, but not before he grabs my wrist. I look up at him in question.

"See you tomorrow?" he asks with hopeful eyes. I smile and blush at his simple words.

"See you tomorrow" I answer.

**Thanks for reading, please follow, review and favoutite! Also check out my other story 'my Angel in Hell'.**

**Tumblr is everlarkeverafter (donation for Peeta's leg) please follow!**


	7. sorry letter

**HI EVERYONE!**

**I know most of you were expecting a new chapter but sorry to disappoint! Things have gone from bad to shitty the last few months and I haven't been able to write at all! On top of that my laptop died so I haven't been able to start, I am sorry from the bottom of my heart that I have made all of you wait so long**

**I take full responsibility but both stories are still continuing, I'm going to ask all of you which story you want updated!**

**A city of new hope?**

**My angel in hell?**

**It's up to you and the update should be up in the next couple of weeks! Again I'm truly sorry for the wait and I promise to make it up to all of you! All of you who read and review and follow my stories are the people who keep me writing and I thankyou all for your continuing support **

**Please find my on tumblr if you have any further question!**


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